Game.



No. 726,833. PATENTED APR. 28, 1903.

0. WILLIAMSON.

GAME. APPLICATION n'Lnn JUNE 16, 1902.

no MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

UNITED Q STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES l/VILLIAMSON, OF NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA.

GAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 726,833, dated April28, 1903.

Application filed June 16 1902. fierial No. 111,848. (No model.)

130 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES WILLIAMSON, a citizen of the United States,residing vat Newport News, in the county of Warwick and State ofVirginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Games, of whichthe following is a specification.

My present invention relates to a new and improved game adapted forindoor as well as outdoor use, and which will at once be interesting andamusing to the old as well as the young.

It is the purpose of the invention to provide agame that will not onlybe amusing and interesting, but the playing of which will be veryhealthful, affording light but invigorat ing exercise, serving to throwthe head and body of the player erect, and thus broadening the shouldersand expanding the chest.

Briefly and generally stated, the invention comprises a field or course,hereinafterto be referred to as a screen, which is preferably but notnecessarily made of flexiblematerial, said screen being laid off in aregular course somewhat after the fashion of a golf-j course, suitableopenings or pockets being provided in the screen which serve as theholes into which a very light inflated body or ball is to besuccessively knocked, driven, or advanced by means of a wand or onespe-; cially provided for the purpose, the said inflated bodies beingbuoyant in the one case and nearly so in the other and of greaterdiameter than the holes or pockets.

The invention further comprises av novel form of supporting-frame forthe screen, field, or course, the same being constructed in such amanner that it may be readily ad justed to different heights toaccommodate the apparatus'for the use of children as well as adults.

The construction of the several parts of the apparatus comprising myimproved game is such that the same may be easily and quickly set up forindoor or outdoor use, .and can as readily be taken down, folded, androlled up into a compact body for storage and shipping purposes. Theapparatus is also very simple and durable in construction, cheap tomanufacture, and not likely to get out of order.. 7

In order to enable others to understand,

make, and play my said game, I will nowproceed to describe the saineindetail, reference being had for this purpose to the accompany ingdrawings, in whic h Figure 1 is a perspective view of the screen, field,or course supported in position for use. Fig. 2 is a plan view of thefield, screen, or course. Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the wands orcues used in advancing the inflated balls. Fig. 4: is a detail sectionalview of the screen, field, or course supported in position for overheadIa in Fig. 5-is a similar view showing the screen, field, or courselowcred for playing the game in another manner." Fig.6 is an enlargedplan view of one its base. Fig. 9 is a detail sectional-view showing oneform of means for connecting a part of the supporting-frame for thescreen.

Fig. 8 is a view,.partly in section, of oneof the supporting-standardsand Fig. 10 is a detail perspective view of another form of means forconnecting a part of the supporting-frame.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the reference -numeral 1designates a screen or field,,which is I preferably, but notnecessarily, made of some light-flexible material s1 1ch as cottonfabric,d,uck, silk,- netting, or any other suitable material-the objectof using flexible material being to provide a light screen that can .berolled up in a small compass for storage or transportation. The screenmay be made of anydesired size and in practice will be made ofvarious-sizes. This 'field or screen is provided with a plurality ofholes or pockets 2, laid ofi in a regular course, as more clearly shownin Fig. 2, the arrows in said figure indi'cating the direction in whichthe inflatedtballoons or bodies are to be advanced. The opposite ends ofthe screen are provided with pockets into which two or. morestifienerstrips 3 are lgcated, said strips being divided, as showninFig.2, in order to permit of the screen being folded. I have shown but twostripsat each end of the "screen; but it will be obvious that I mayemploy more than two, if desired. The screen is also provided around itsentire edge with a plurality of hooks 4., by which it may be ICO securedat said edges to a suitable support and which will serve to hold thescreen tightly stretched both longitudinally and transversely.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown one form of supporting meansfor the screen or field; but I do not wish to be understood as limitingmyself specifically to such means, for it will be obvious that otherforms of supports may be employed without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

The supporting-frame herein shown comprises a pair of sectionalstandards 5, the sections of which are suitably coupled together in adetachable manner by means of short sleeves 6, one of said sleeves beingattached to one end of each section. The said standards are eachremovably inserted in a short pipe-section 7, that is in turn detachablyinserted in a hollow base 8, the lower end of the said pipe-sectionsfitting over an internal projection 9, carried by the bottom of eachbase. The said bases are made hollow, as shown in Fig. 8, in order toreceive a weighty substance or material lO-such, for instance, as sandor shot-which latter may be emptied from its base at will by simplyremoving the short pipe-section 7 and inverting the base, as will beobvious. To each of the uppermost sections of the standards 5 is secureda pin or bolt 12, (see Fig. 9,) which extends through and projects forsome distance beyond the sections, said pins serving to enter the endsof and support a ridge-pole or spreader 13, that extends between andconnects the two standards, thus providing a rigid frame. Extending overeach end of the ridge-pole and around each standard is an angle-loop 14,and between the said loop, ridge-pole, and standard at each end of theframe is slipped an end pole 15, said poles being securely held inposition by the means just described, as will be apparent by referringto Fig. 9 of the drawings. The end poles are preferably made in two ormore sections and coupled together by means of sleeves similar to thestandards 5. The said end poles are also provided with loose rings 1b,carrying eyes 17, into which the books 4 on the ends of the screen maybe inserted for holding the screen in a stretched condition. Theopposite ends of the end poles are also connected together by means oftie wires or cords 18, over which the hooks 4 in the side edges of thescreen are hooked. It will thus be seen that the screen when in positionwill be held taut in all directions and that the same may be easily andquickly attached to or removed from its support and the latter takendown and folded up into a compact body. It will also be seen that thesupporting-frame can be readily adjusted to different heights by simplyremoving or inserting one or more sections of the standards 5, thusadapting the apparatus for short or tall persons.

Instead of the connecting means shown in Fig. 9 I may employ that shownin Fig. 10, which consists of a pipe-coupling 1.9, secured to thestandard 5 and having two short hollow arms for the end-pole sectionsand a third arm 21 for the ridge-pole.

The game is intended to be played by two persons, and in operation twoinflated bodies, bladders or sacks 22, are employed, the object being todrive or advance said bodies over the screen, field, or course and causethem to successively enter or seat themselves in the holes or pockets 2of the screen, as will be hereinafter more fully described, a suitablewand or cue (see Fig. 3) being employed to drive the inflated bodies.This wand or cue consists of a rod or handle 23, having secured to oneend thereof a disk 24, of cork, rubber, or other soft or resilientmaterial, the said disk being considerably larger in diameter than thewand, so as to project well on all sides thereof, and thus enable theplayer to strike the inflated body high up near the top or near itspoint of contact with the screen, so as to lift the same therefrom.

* In playing the game with the screen in the position shown in Figs. 1and 4 balloons 01' bags filled with gas are employed, their normaltendency being to rise and come to a state of rest upon the under sideof the screen, it being understood that the said balloons or inflatedbodies are considerably larger in diameter than the holes or pockets 2in the screen, the relative sizes being such that the balloons willbarely seat themselves in the holes or pockets.

In starting the game the players occupy positions at opposite ends ofthe screen, the balloons being located on the spots 25. One of theplayers then strikes his balloon with his wand or one, driving the samein the direction indicated by the arrow A, his object being to drive thesame into, or as near as possible to, the first hole a. The next playerthen strikes his balloon, driving the same in the direction of the arrowB, his object being to drive his balloon into the first hole a. Theplays are then made alternately, each player being required to take hisballoon over the entire course in the direction of the arrows, Fig. 2,returning to the point or spot 25 from whence he started,it beingnecessary that each hole or pocket be entered in succession. playerfirst making all the holes or rounding the course wins the game, and ifit is desired to count points on your opponent the player in arrears maybe allowed to finish his course, and a point will be counted for everystroke it takes him to arrive at his starting place or instead of saidplayer continuing to play five or any other number of points may becounted for each unentered hole or pocket, and this will determine thenumber of points he has been beaten.

In order to prevent the balloons from being knocked or driven oif orover the edge of IIO The

the screen, I provide a short skirt or curtain 26 around the entire edgeof the screen, as more clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 7;

Instead of playing the game overhead with balloons or bags filled withgas, as just described, I contemplate playing the same with the screenlowered and inverted, as shown in Fig. 5, and in this case the bags arefilled with air, and while they will not rise and float like a balloon,yet they will be more or less buoyant and will travel very freely overthe surface of the screen, thus rendering the game somewhat difficultand very amusing. It will be understood that the inflated bodies arealmost of the same specific gravity as air andarethereforebuoyantornearlyso. In fact, with one form of the invention theinflated bodies are of less specific gravity than air, and consequentlytheirnormal tendency is to rise, while in the other form they are ofsubstantially the same specific gravity as air, their normal tendencybeing to settle lightly or slowly. In both cases the inflated bodies maybe said to be buoyant, or nearly so, and in this lies the importantfeature of the invention.

that where I employ the term buoyant or of substantially the samespecific gravity as air in the claims I mean a body that is buoyant, ornearly so.

As hereinbefore stated, I do not wish to be understood as limitingmyself to any particular form or construction of supporting-frame forthe screen, as this may be varied or changed at will without departingfrom the spirit of the invention. Neither do I wish to limit myself tothe use of spherical inflated bodies, for it will be obvious that thesemay be other than spherical in shape. So far as I am aware I am thefirst to provide a game apparatus comprisinga screen, field, or courseprovided with holes or pockets, as herein set forth,combined withinflated bodies ofgreater diameter than the said holes or pockets, sothat said bodies will only partially enter or seat themselves therein,and to such an apparatus I lay claim broadly.

What I claim is- 1. In a game apparatus, a screen or field provided witha plurality of openings arranged in a regular course, combined with aninflated body of substantially the samespecific gravity as air adaptedto be advanced over the surface of the screen or field and to be seatedin said openings, substantially as described.

2. In a game apparatus, a screen or field of flexible material providedwith a plurality of openings arranged in a regular course, nieans forholding and supporting the screen or field under tension, and aninflated body of substantially the same specific gravity as air adaptedto be advanced over the surface of the screen or field, and to be seatedin said openings, substantially as described.

3. A game apparatus comprising a field of It will be understood,therefore,

flexible material provided with a plurality of openings laid off in aregular course, means for holding the flexible field in a stretchedcondition, combined with a buoyant body of larger diameter than theopenings in the field.

4. In a game apparatus, a flexible field having a plurality of openingstherethrough laid out in a regular course, and means for supporting andholding the field stretched both longitudinally and transversely.

5. A game apparatus comprising a field provided with a plurality ofopenings or pockets, means for supporting the field overhead, and afloating bodyof larger diameter than the openings or pockets in thefield.

6. A game apparatus comprising a field of flexible material providedwith a plurality of pockets, means for supporting the field in astretched condition, combined with a buoyant body of larger diameterthan the pockets in the field.

7. In a game, the combination with a suittachable ridge-pole connectingsaid standards,

end poles detachably connected to the standards, means for connectingthe opposite ends of the end poles one to the other, and a flexiblescreen attached around its edges to said end poles and connecting means,said screen being provided with openings laid off in a regular course,substantially as described.

9. In a game apparatus, the combination with a pair of hollow bases,standards removably fitted in said bases, a ridge-pole connecting thesaid standards, end poles also supported by the standards, and aflexible screen supported at its edges by said end poles, said screenbeing provided with a plurality of openings or pockets laid off in aregular course, substantially as described.

10. In a game apparatus, the combination with a pair of hollow bases,sectional standards removably connected to said bases, a

ridge-pole connecting the standards, end

nesses.

CHARLES WILLIAMSON.

Witnesses:

GEO. E. OoNNnLL,

W. S. KILLIAM.

